MV Wyuna

04/05/2026

Wyuna Progress report for 19-3-26 – 26-3-26
WESTERN PORT OBERON ASSOCIATION INC
PATRON -: HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS ROYAL

GOVERNORS - LT CDR ROGER BLYTHMAN RFD RAN (Ret)
AMBASSADORS- HEIDI VICTORIA
PO BOX 503 HASTINGS VICTORIA 3915 ABN 21 798 098 471
CONTACT -: OFFICE 0438 023 648 -: MUSEUM -: 0476 109 223
Web www.maritimecentre.com.au Email [email protected]

Progress report for 19-3-26 – 26-3-26
Restoration of the historic Pilot Cutter Wyuna located at Bell Bay in Tasmania, Australia
Crew -: Max Bryant, Bobby Stone, Sean Stone, Rosey Kendall.
Please feel free to circulate this report to all family and friends.
Again, Rosey Kendall joined the crew this trip and assisted by using her vehicle to transport much needed equipment to Wyuna.

Disembarking Devonport at 0630 after another delightful night cruise across the paddock from Geelong. We headed for Georgetown with Rosey at the helm. Part way in to the journey she had to hand over the driving. Claiming to being extremely tired due to lack of sleep the previous night apparently due to all the snoring. Funny that, all the other occupants of the vehicle stated that they had not heard a thing.

First day, by the time we unloaded gear and then went and bought the week’s rations, just essentials making sure no one got scurvy and bought fuel for the generator at $2.33 a litre, most of the day was done. We found the evidence; it appears we have a resident bushy tailed possum living onboard.

While the weather was suitable, we decided to work on the upper decks. I began chipping up on the old wheelhouse deck. Note in the picture the bulwarks are bolted to a vertical steel section all of which had evidence of rust so had to be chipped treated and primed.
To explain why we have an old wheelhouse and a bridge. The old wheelhouse was the original bridge during the Port Phillip pilotage days. When the vessel was sold to Australian Maritime College, they had the new training bridge constructed. As you can see by these pictures there was not a lot of room in the existing bridge for crew let alone students.
The Owl Report, No evidence of any seagulls onboard this time but not much good for frightening off possums.
Until the next report, Cheers Max

Wellbeing Wyuna and our veterans need your help
Don’t forget, we have joined forces with GiveNow to make it easier and simpler for you to make a donation to Wyuna and in doing so help our veterans.

So please take the time to look at the site and consider making a donation to this world first unique cause to help veterans.

We recently made a plea on the Wyuna page for members to donate the price of a cup of coffee per week to the project. Sadly, not a single person has responded to our plea, is it they don’t really care about our maritime history or they don’t care about our veterans. I am hopeful that neither is the case and they have just not got around to it. After all, $5 doesn’t buy much these days, but allot of $5’s can achieve a great deal it will save Wyuna which will help our veterans.

https://www.givenow.com.au/wyuna

Here is a special deal for our sponsors if you donate $50 you will be eligible for a free Friends Of Wyuna cap but if you donate $100 or more, we will not only send you a cap but in addition you will receive a beautiful Friends Of Wyuna polo shirt. To receive these gifts simply send a copy of your receipt to [email protected] with a mailing address. Postage within Australia is free.

Check out our supporters below if you are an individual or own a business you may wish to consider becoming a sponsor

DON’T FORGET OUR VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS NEED OUR HELP⚓️

04/04/2026

Come on guys help us out $5 a week is nothing, (price of a coffee) we are pouring our own personal funds in to the project. This cannot go on indefinitely those funds have just about come to an end. Remember we are all volunteers, no one gets a cent we actually pay to volunteer. We are at the stage we need some contractors and they cost money. So come on give us a hand remember our veterans need our help.
You can easily donate by using debit cards, credit cards or Apple Pay. It should be much easier now, just click on the link.
https://www.givenow.com.au/wyuna
And maybe we should think about officially forming the Friends Of Wyuna Association, so who would like to help?⚓️

As a not-for-profit organisation, the Western Port Oberon Association is raising funds for the restoration of MV Wyuna, currently berthed in Tasmania, to return the ship to seaworthy condition.

03/22/2026

Great news, we have just reached 4K followers! Thank you for continuing support. We could never have made it without each one of you, we need your help so we can help our veterans, if you could possibly donate the price of a cup of coffee each week that would ensure we bring the project to fruition, you will continue to see the results of your donations as the restoration works continue. Here is the link, thank you. https://www.givenow.com.au/wyuna?utm_source=Cause+Share&utm_medium=Copy&utm_campaign=Restoration+of+MV+Wyuna 🛟🛟⚓️⚓️
🙏🤗🎉

03/22/2026

Wyuna

03/21/2026

Day 2, some progress photos from our work on Wyuna, working on the top deck, chipping and painting and making her look great 👍 👌 😀

03/19/2026

We are on board the Spirit of Tasmania now 😀

02/11/2026

Progress report for 19-1-26 – 28-1-26
Restoration of the historic Pilot Cutter Wyuna located at Bell Bay in Tasmania, Australia
Crew -: Max Bryant, Bobby Stone, Sean Stone, Rosey Kendall
Please circulate this report to all family and friends and any other party you feel may be interested.

We had some wonderful news just prior to the Christmas break TT Line has generously supported the project by providing us passage to and from Tasmania. This will certainly assist in the costs of travelling to Tassie to work on Wyuna. Our crew thoroughly enjoyed their overseas cruise, first leg Sorrento to Queenscliff and a visit to their maritime museum then to Geelong to board TT Line’s ship bound for Devonport. The gods were kind, and it was smooth sailing all the way. The return trip, virtually the reversal of the same with exception of a great dinner at Molly Blooms in Devonport. Naturally we had a glass or two of the local black stuff. TT Line made a cabin available for the four of us which was most comfortable. We are extremely grateful for the support from Tasmania’s TT Line.
Rosey Kendall joined the crew this trip and assisted by using her vehicle to transport much needed equipment to Wyuna.

Disembarking Devonport at 0830 after a delightful cruise across the paddock. We headed for Georgetown, a bit of a winding track but quite a nice drive. It took most of the day to get all the gear and stores onboard Wyuna. Then we had a meeting to work out proposed targets for the trip; all are ready for a fresh start the next morning.
I went back on the needle gun removing rust spots on the upper deck, a tedious task, but has to be done there is no point to painting over rust. Working around the engine room fan room vents on the upper deck, the vents are in a bad way and will be listed for replacement.
Bobby and Sean on the brushes, Bobby applying anti corrosion primer and then helping Sean painting the first of the finish coats. Then they began applying the finishing buff coat to the bulwarks on the mid deck.
We wanted to remove of a few rust spots on the outside of the hull on the upper deck. We had to catch all the paint chips so as not to pollute the river. Bobby and I got a tarp and hung it below the area we wanted to work with the top tied to two adjustable painter poles. We were able to create a hammock like which caught all the paint flakes it worked quite well.
It wasn’t all hard work we did find time to relax at the end of the day’s work. One evening we had an Irish night watching and listening to singalongs in Irish pubs a really fun evening.
There appears there is four in the photo then who took the picture as there was only four of us onboard
Laying down on the job, we would be in trouble without the needle guns and air chisels to remove rust spots. Some places are quite good then others not so good.
Rosey did a great job following along after I made the mess, she cleaned up great job Rosey Kendall🚢⚓️
The Owl Report
No evidence of any seagulls onboard this time.

Until the next report
Cheers Max

Wellbeing Wyuna and our veterans need your help
Don’t forget, we have joined forces with GiveNow to make it easier and simpler for you to make a donation to Wyuna and in doing so help our veterans.

So please take the time to look at the site and consider making a donation to this world first unique cause to help veterans.

https://www.givenow.com.au/wyuna

Here is a special deal for our sponsors if you donate $50 you will be eligible for a free Friends Of Wyuna cap but if you donate $100 or more, we will not only send you a cap but in addition you will receive a beautiful Friends Of Wyuna polo shirt. To receive these gifts simply send a copy of your receipt to [email protected] with a mailing address. Postage within Australia is free.
Note see photo Friends of Wyuna jackets are available as well.
Check out our supporters below if you are an individual or own a business you may wish to consider becoming a sponsor

DON’T FORGET OUR VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS NEED OUR HELP

02/01/2026

Here are some photos from last week when we were on board Wyuna, 🙂🚢🛟⚓️

01/30/2026

Very interesting ⚓️🛟

🚢A dry dock is a structured area where the construction, repairs, and maintenance of merchant vessels and boats are carried out. This unique construction or arrangement allows water to be filled up in an area, also known as a lock, so vessels can be manoeuvred in and out of the area.

Read the full article 👉 Link in comments!

01/24/2026

The Wyuna is dressed ready for Australia Day, and we also have the flags of our sponsors, Penrite Oils, and International Paints 🚢🛟⚓️

01/08/2026

Here are some photos of the cabins and the Galley on Wyuna.

12/31/2025

Happy New Year to all of you who donated to our Fundraiser and who are following Wyuna, we thank you very much and please keep spreading the word about Wyuna as we still need more funds to continue. 😄🥳🥂🍾🚢🛟⚓️